Convertible automobile-top



A. H. PAPE. CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE TOP. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. I920.

AUGUST H. PA E, 0F KEN'IFIELID, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOBILE-TOP.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,661.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST I-I. PAPE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kentfield, in the county of Marin and State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in ConvertibleAutomobile-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automobile tops and moreparticularly to means for converting an open collapsible top or a rigid.top open on its sides into a closed top.

The primary object of this invention is to provide relatively simple,inexpensive, easily operable, means of the character described forquickly andneatly converting an open automobile of the touring type intoa closed car of the limousine or sedan type, said means beingincorporated in the ordinary type of top in such a manner'that theautomobile may be used as an open or a closed car, as desired.

The invention possesses other advantages and features, some of which,with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the followingdescription wherein I shall outline in full that form of the inventionwhich I have selected for illustration 'n the drawings accompanying andforming a part of the present specification. In said drawings, I haveshown one form of the construction of my invention, but it is to beunderstood that I do not limit myself to such form, since the inventionas expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken through anautomobile, illustrating my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the top, showing a part of theautomobile incorporated therewith.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail fragmentary side elevation of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the track showing a portion ofone of the windows attached thereto.

Fig. 5 is afragmentary top plan view broken away and in section, showingmeans for operating the device.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the operating means, showingit attached to the track.

Referring particularly to the drawing, 1

tending along the inside designates an ordinary cloth or fabric top ofan automobile, and 2 the usual bows for supporting the top.

The foundation of my improved means for converting the top into a closedcar comprises a pair of boards or plates 3 secured within the topon,each side and extending parallel with the sides of said top. Thelower edges of these plates are straight and the upper edges are curvedto conform to the curvature of the top. The upperedges of the plates orboards are notched, as at 3, so as to receive the bows 2 and said boardsare secured to the bows by angle lrons 5, the latter being held byfastening elements 6. These angle irons secure the boards inslightlyspac ed relation to one another 1n each pair, so as to provideguideways for longitudinal side window supportmg members 7. i

The members 7 are resiliently supported for vertical movement betweenthe boards 3 of each pair having sliding contact with said boards, andslidably support a front window 8 and a middle window 9. The sides ofthe car at the back are inclosed by a stationary window 10, the members7 exof said windows 10.

As a means for supporting the members 7 with the windows 8 thereon insuch position that the windows are free to be moved into operativepositions out of contact with the upper edge 11 of the body 12 of theautomobile, I employ a flexible supporting element or cable 13, securedto said member 7,

and connected with the boards 3. One end of this cable 13 is fixed to ashaft 14 that is mounted transversely in the boards 3 of each pair ofboards and the other end is secured to a similar shaft 15- similarlymounted at a spaced point between the boards of each pair, theintermediate portions of the cable being connected withthe member 7 atpoints preferably immediately below the shafts 14 and on opposite sidesof the center of the members 7, between the ends and said center, so asto balance said members 7 as well as to support them; This means holdsthe members 7 in up position, out of contact with the body of the carand against the action of leaf springs 16. These springs 16 are eachsecured at one end, as at 17, to the-boards 3 and at their other endsbear downwardly upon the members 7 there being provided stop pins 18engaging the upper sides of the springs adjacent i at to the forwardends thereof so as to effect the downward pressure of the springs uponcrank handle 20. This ,handle 20 is slidable lol'igitudinally on theshaft, so as to cooperate with the locking lug 21 formed on a plate 22against which said crank arm operates. An expansion spring 23 is mountedupon an extension 24 of the shaft 14 and bears at its ends against a nut25 on said extension and upon the handle 22 soas to normally hold saidhandle in against the plate 22. By turning the handle 21, the shaft-14is rotated so that the cable 13 is operated to raise or lower themembers 7. \Vhen the members 7 are raised, the handle 20 is first pulledoutwardly against the action of the spring so as to pass over the lug21, and after passing over said lug, is allowed to be moved back intonormalposition by the spring so as to maintain shafts 14 andv 15 andcable 13 in the position to hold the member 7 in up-position.

The cable- 13, beginning from the end thereof, which is secured totheshaft 14, extends over said shaft and downwardly, and under a pin orbolt 26 on the member 7, around said bolt and upwardly over the top ofsaid shaft, and around and under a-- pin or screw 27, which latter isfixed to the shaft. Then back over and around a similar pin' or screw 28and over the top of the shaft 14 and on to and around the shaft 15.After extending around the shaft 15, the cable passes under and around apin or screw 29 similar to the one 27 and then passes under a similarscrew 30 mounted to one side of the screw 29.v From this point, thecable passes over the top of said shaft 15 and downwardly and under apin 26 similar to the one 26 upon the member 7. From this point, thecable extends upwardly, over the top of said'shaft 15 and terminates ina loose end, which end is held under a secured or fixed portion of thecable. The other end is also extended under a secured or fixed portion,as shown in Fig. 6. The flexible element or cable is securely fastimedto the shafts l4 and 15 by washers 31' mounted upon the pins 27 ,"28,29, and 30. The washers are pressed into engagement with the cable bynuts 32 turned on said bolts or pins. By loosening the'nuts and washers,adjustment of the cable 13 may be effected, as desired, to regulate thelifting and lowering of the windows and the elevation at which thewindows may be supported. This adjustment-may be necessary at times toeffect proper balance of the members 7. By arranging the cable in thismanner, when the shaft 14 is rotated in.a counter clockwise manner, thecable will be wound upon. both shafts, so asto pull up on the member 7.The clockwisemovement of the shaft 14 and the downward pull of thesprings .16 unwinds the cable, so as to move the members 7'and windowsdownwardly.

ing said cranks in a clockwise direction, the

cable is unwound, and permits the springs 16 to force the windowsdownwardly and into engagement with -eupper edges 11 of the body 12. Byhaving the windows y eldingly pressed or forced downwardly, they areprevented from rattling and are securely held in place. To raise thewindows, it is only necessary to give the crank handles 20 a slight turnand to allow them to lock behind the'lugs 21. This raises the member 7"with the windows attached thereto, so that the lower edges of [themembers are free from contact with the upper edges 11of the body 12 andthe windows may be moved back into out-of-way position.

I preferably form the member 7 of two channel iron bars 32 and 33, and astraight .plate- 34 equal in heightto that of-the channel bars. Theseplates and bars are secured together by the pins or bolts 26, which ex-"tend through apertures in said members and through similar apertures in.wooden blocks 35-which blocks are interposed between the bars and platesfrom one another. The lower flanges of-the channel bars 32 and 33provide tracksor guidewaysBGand 3'7 .for

slide blocks. 38, to which blocks are secured plate 34 and bars 32 and33, and space said the windows -8 and 9. The slide blocks are providedwith longitudinal side-opening grooves 39 which receive the tracks 36and37. The faces of said blocks opposite to saidngrooves having slidingengagement with the opposed faces of the plate 34' and channel barrespectively. The blocks-38 .are provided with depending extensions 40,to which are secured by suitable fastening elements 41, the frame pieces42 of the windows Sand 9. Both of the tracksext'end for the lengthofthe. boards 3, sothaltthe front window 8 and the window 9 may be movedinto. position. It will thus be seen that I have provided exceptionallysimple and 'efiicaciousmeans forv slidably supporting side .WIIrClOWSZtIL an open automobile top, wherebysaid windgws will, when not in. use,be-in an out-of-way position, and when desired for use, may be easilyand quickly extended so as to inclose the car.

Iclaim:

1. The combination with the top of an automobile having open sides, ofguide members secured to the frame of said top on each side of theautomobile, a window supporting member slidably mounted between theguide members, windows supported by said members and having theirlower'edges disposed so as to be movable over the upper edge of the bodyof the automobile, means for holding said supporting members inupposition whereby the lower edges of the windows are spaced from theupper edge of the body of the automobile, and spring means fordepressing said track to press'the lower edges of the windows againstthe upper edges of the body of the automobile.

2. The combination with an automobile top having open sides, of guidemembers secured to the top on each side of the automobile,.windowsupporting members adjustably mounted between the guide members, windowsslidably mounted upon said members and adapted to close the open sidesof the top, means for raising and lowering said supporting memberswhereby the loweredges of the windows are moved into and out ofengagement with the upper edge of the body of the automobile, and meansfor pressing the lower edges of the windows into engagement with theupper edges of the body of the automobile when said supporting membersare lowered. i

3. The combination with the top -of an automobile having open sides, ofwindow supporting means adjustably mounted upon opposite sides of thetop, windows slidable upon said means, and having their lower edgesdisposed to be moved into and out of engagement with the body of theautomobile, means for raising and lowering said supporting means, andmeans for pressing the lower edges of said windows into engagement withthe upper edges of the body of the automobile when said members arelowered.

4. The combination with an automobile top, of frames secured to said topon each side of the automobile,an upper window track adjustablysupported between each frame, means for raising and lowering said track,a window slidable upon said track, the lower edge of said window beingmovable over the upper edge of the body of the automobile, and springmeans against which the tracks are held in up-position, and which pressthe windows into engagement with the upper edge of the body of theautomobile when the tracks are lowered.

The combination with an automobile top, of a window the lower edge ofwhich is adjacent to the upper edge of the body of the automobile alongitudinal track, mean for slidably supporting said window upon saidtrack, means for raising said track to raisezthe lower edge of thewindow relative to the upper edge of the body of the automobile, andspring means against the action of which said raising means is operatedand which presses the lower edge of the window upon the upper edge ofthe body when the track is lowered.

6. The combination with an automobile top, of a window, the lower edgeof which is adjacent to the upper edge of the automobile, a longitudinaltrack secured tosaid top, and means for slidably connecting the windowwith said track, rotary members secured to said top, flexibleelementssecured to said rotary members and the track, means for rotatingsaid'rotary members to raise and lower the track, and spring means fordepressing said track to press the lower edge of the window intoengagement with the upper edge of the body of the automobile.

7. The combination with an automobile top, of a track adjustably mountedupon said top, a window slidable upon the track, and having its loweredge disposed adjacent to the upper edge of the body of the automoble, arotary member mounted in the top, a flexible element secured to saidrotary memher and to said track, an operating handle fixed to saidrotary member, means to lock said handle against movement in onedirection to maintain the track in raised position, and means fordepressing the track and pressing the lower edge of the window intoengagement with the upper edge of the body of the automobile, when thetrack is lowered.

8. The combination with an automobile 1 top, of a track verticallyadjustably secured to said top, a window slidable upon said trackandhaving its lower edgedisposed adjacent to the upper edge of theautomobile, a pair of rotary members secured to said top above saidtrack, a flexible element secured at its ends to the respectiverotarymembers and intermediate of its ends to said track, means for rotatingone of said rotary elements to raise and lower the track, and means todepress the track to press the lower edge of'the window into engagementwith the upper edge of the body of the automobile when the track islowered.

9. In a device of the character described, a window supporting member,comprising channel bars secured in spaced relation to one another,spacing blocks interposed be-' tween said bars, a plate secured to oneof said bars in spaced relation thereto, a spacing block interposedbetween said plate and nel bars and slidable upon" said channel bars,

and windows secured to said blocks.

AUGUST H. PAPE.

